The match was as tight as the score suggests. Tottenham began the day two points above the bottom three and, once Palhinha struck before the break, the task became one of nerve rather than flair. Reports said the midfielder forced home the loose ball after his initial header came back off the woodwork, and Spurs then held firm to keep Everton out.
The stats will only record a 1-0 home win, but the afternoon carried far more weight than that. Another report said Roberto De Zerbi, appointed during the run-in, has overseen three wins, two draws and two defeats to steer Tottenham clear and preserve the club's top-flight place for a 49th straight season. Palhinha also said the squad came through a bad year together and credited the support from the fans.
The wider relegation picture sharpened the result. West Ham's win elsewhere was not enough, and Bowen's words underlined why. "We shouldn't be in the position we're in but we've found ourselves in it and we've not done enough to stay up," Bowen said. Tottenham, by contrast, had the one score and the one summary that mattered: survival secured.